The Palace
by Lucky Strike's alter ego
Summary: The only man a girl can trust is her father. This is something Ivy's always believed in full heartedly but then her powers started developing and at the same time her relationship with her father started to fall apart. Ivy begins a journey in finding herself while her father is left alone to wallow in his own paranoia. Anything can happen. *REWRITE of Undisclosed Desires*
1. Prologue

_She couldn't remember how long she had suffered from the voices in her head._

 _Maybe since she was five?_

 _Maybe since she was younger?_

 _Who really knew?_

* * *

Ivy didn't really know where to begin with her story. She could've started the day when things truly started falling apart but not even she could make much sense of certain events. Ivy supposed it was best to go back to where it all truly started which was the beginning. The beginning of everything, really.

Ivy was raised for the first couple years of her life by her grandparents. They took responsibility for the consequences of her father's actions. Her father who was flighty and slightly unstable. Tony Stark, the heir to the Stark empire, was mostly afraid of his daughter rather than resentful. He didn't know how to act around babies. Ivy barely remembered her grandparents other than little memories here and there but she knew that they loved her. Ivy loved them in return as well. She knew that they were good people who cared for her when her father wasn't mature enough to.

Her father was fairly wild in his younger years…but then again when wasn't Tony Stark wild? He had a brief love affair with her mother, a mysterious woman that her father hadn't really known much about. She had asked him numerous times in the past about her mother but he never had an exact answer for her. Ivy later learned that this was because her father probably didn't know her mother at all. She was just another name to add to his long list of one-night stands and fleeting flings. Nine months later Ivy came to be but not long after giving birth, Ivy's mother mysteriously vanished. The hospital was left with one missing patient, a Jane Doe who was approximately twenty three years old, and a baby girl.

"Dr. Mirium! Dr. Mirium!" A young nurse yelled, the young nurse looked panicked with her blonde hair disheveled and her scrubs wrinkled from the excessive running. Dr. Mirium gave the nurse a confused look. Dr. Mirium was an older doctor, having delivered many babies into the world in his fifty seven years. His dark hair was sprinkled with gray from all the stress and long nights.

"Nora?" He asked in concerned.

"Doctor, we're missing a patient." His eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the blonde nurse's abrupt and unexpected statement.

"What?" The nurse looked stricken with worry at somehow losing a patient.

"Jane Doe. The one that just gave birth three hours ago. She was just in there, Doc, I swear. I dropped off her dinner and I came back with some blankets but she was gone." Dr. Mirium nodded, remaining calm.

"And the child?"

"Still in the nursery."

"Well, if you've just seen her she has to still be in the building. We'll have security check the video feeds and track her down. She couldn't have gone far." The nurse nodded, calming down a bit. "Don't worry. We'll find her and everything will be fine."

Only nothing was that simple.

Jane Doe somehow vanished into thin air. Security searched every corner of the hospital but there was no sign of the young woman. Video footage showed the young mother getting out her bed before leaving her room which was the last anything could be seen of her on camera. Not knowing what else to do, Dr. Mirium contacted an old friend of his. In under an hour Shield agents flooded the hospital, searching for any possible clues. Searching for a missing young mother probably seemed like something that was beneath Shield's pay roll but everything about this case was suspicious. For example, the fact that the young mother had no existing medical records to speak of was highly suspicious. The hospital hadn't been able to find anything on the woman. The young mother even refused to give out her name. Now the young mother had vanished without a trace without her child so something definitely wasn't adding up.

"Have you found anything?" The old doctor glanced at his friend in poorly concealed hope. His friend wasn't a tall or imposing man for being a Shield agent but something about him was still intimidating. He was stiff looking in his business suit and maintained a professional demeanor despite being in the company of his old friend. Phil Coulson was the definition of professional.

"I'm afraid not, Gary." He then gave his friend a quizzical look. "Why did you call me? A missing patient should be a case for the local police. Not that I'm unwilling to help you out here but I don't think there's much more I can do." Gary sighed before nodding to the door.

"It's best that I show you. I didn't know what to do and I didn't think it would be a good idea if this somehow got out to the press." Phil was beyond confused as his doctor friend led him down the hall. They stopped in front of the nursery, dozens of newborns resting comfortably in their little beds. Phil still didn't get what Gary was trying to say.

"Newborns? Gary, what is this about?" Gary shrugged.

"The woman that's missing... Jane Doe. She didn't give us much information. She was really out of it." Gary explained to his friend. "She wouldn't even give us her name. She just said that the baby needed to live. She was very adamant about it; actually, like she was convinced the child would die." Phil nodded.

"Yeah but I don't understand why you would think this was so fishy?" Phil tried to tell him but Gary ignored him, continuing with his story.

"It wasn't until before she passed out after having the girl that she said anything coherent… Stark." Phil's eyes widened. He looked back at the infant in the nursery who was currently asleep. It wasn't like he could spot any distinct features that resembled Stark since she was only a few hours old. Maybe her dark hair but that was it.

"Are saying that she's Stark's illegitimate child?" Gary shrugged again.

"That's why I called you. I know Shield can clear up this confusion. I'm just telling you what the girl said. It's the only clue that might give us an idea where this child came from." Gary told his friend, not quite believing the words he was saying himself. It didn't really make any sense that this newborn baby could be a Stark but nothing about this whole case made sense either. "I didn't really believe the girl at first but after she mysteriously vanished...well, I don't know what to believe, Coulson. Something's going on here. That's all I know. I wanted to call you guys because I know if I contact the police, it'll get out to the press." Phil stared at the infant, without looking back at the doctor.

"I just don't see how Howard could do that to Maria. I really hope this isn't true." Gary gave Coulson a bewildered expression.

"It wasn't Howard's name she said."

* * *

Shield was able to eventually gain custody of the mysterious infant from the hospital. It was three days later and they still couldn't find the girl's absent mother. All they had to go on was a grainy video feed of a young redhead as well as the doctor's description. They contacted Howard and Maria Stark immediately, both of whom visited Shield headquarters the very second they could, their son Tony in tow. Howard barged into the small room which now served as a makeshift nursery. The newborn was very welcomed at the headquarters, showered with love and affection by all the female agents and some male agents as well. Balloons and stuffed animals littered the girl's room. But lying smack dab in the middle of the stuffed animals was no one else but the very same someone who had caused much controversy in the Stark household for the past couple days.

"What the hell is going on?!" Howard demanded the second he stepped foot into the room. Coulson immediately approached him. This needed to be worked out calmly and rationally.

"I get a phone call from Fury, of all people, telling me that I have grandchild that was ditched at the hospital? The mother MIA?" Coulson nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Stark. We have reason to believe that the child could be your son's child." Howard seemed annoyed by this while Maria just eyed the baby with adoration. She looked ready to take the girl home with her right then and there. Tony just eyed the girl with something that mirrored curiosity as well as a hint of fear.

"Well, how can we be sure that the kid is his?" Maria gave her husband a warning look.

"Howard!" Howard just rolled his eyes.

"Tony is heir to Stark Industries, Maria, there are people out there that would try to pin anything on us to try and get a piece of that fortune." He glanced back at his son in disdain. "Although it wouldn't be that farfetched given my son's reputation."

Tony rolled his eyes at his dad's obvious disappointment. It was always disappointment with him. Picking apart all the bad things Tony was capable of before even considering all the good things he had done. Tony doubted that there would ever be a single thing he would do that would somehow prevent him from somehow disappointing his father. He was a total fuck up in his father's book. There was no doubt in Tony's mind about that.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Pops." Howard just glowered at his son. Coulson glanced warily between the two before trying to get them back on topic

"We've already collected a sample from her. All we need is a sample from you." Coulson set his gaze on Tony who looked uncomfortable at the prospect of possibly having offspring. Maria looked concerned at the thought of a bunch of people prodding the poor girl with needles.

"How exactly did you collect the sample?" Coulson smiled.

"Mouth swab." She nodded, feeling more at ease.

"Well, that settles it then." He gave Tony a hard look. "Go on then."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just pretend none of this ever happened?" He asked his dad, trying to plead to his father's need of discretion. However, this time it didn't work. His father's gaze hardened as he looked down upon Tony.

"You need to grow up, Anthony. You made your bed...now you get lie in it." Tony sighed, knowing that he wasn't likely to get out of this one.

"There's something else you should know about the baby, Howard." Coulson said and the Stark family gave him worried looks save for Tony who just seemed caught up in the predicament itself.

"What?" Howard questioned. "Is there something wrong with her? Is she ill?"

"She's healthy as a horse." Coulson told them honestly. "Although the doctor did suggest bringing her back in when she's a few months older for a checkup but other than that she should be just fine."

The Starks nodded, satisfied. Although Howard, still had his doubts that the baby was Tony's. Either way, it was best to be prepared for every outcome. Coulson let the team of medics in the building take a swab of Tony's DNA for the paternity test as Howard and Maria busied themselves with the baby. He watched the younger Stark open his mouth large and wide with an annoyed look on his face as they took the DNA sample. Coulson could feel his heart racing in his chest as he looked between the young Stark and the newborn baby Stark.

Shield had learned a lot these past couple days. From the DNA swab they previously took of the newborn, they were able to determine just who her mother was. Not that the Starks needed to know that bit of information. The newborn Stark's biological mother had been part of a program at Shield. That much was obvious from the slight abnormalities in her DNA. Human DNA but slightly altered which was no surprise. The only problem was that Shield had no idea where the girl's mother was. The girl's mother who happened to be a missing participant from Shield's Project Prometheus. Project Prometheus was a classified Shield program which involved experimental drug treatment. The newborn's mother, who was a participant in this program, had gone missing nine months ago and now they knew why.

Ultimately Fury decided that it was best to notify the Starks of the existence of the girl although Coulson didn't completely understand his reasoning. The best way to go would be to keep the girl at Shield, right? So they could determine that she wasn't a threat and keep her out of harm's way. Fury didn't seem to think so. He told Coulson that the girl was to remain in the Starks custody. When Coulson questioned Fury about this, the older man seemed adamant that this was meant to be. A lot of people would be after the girl if they knew that her mother was part of Project Prometheus which meant that she could possibly have the results of the experimental drug treatment in her body. No, the girl was safer in the custody of the Starks where she would be protected and where no one knew of Project Prometheus. Not even Howard Stark was privy to that kind of classified information these days. So Fury decided that it was best for the girl to be with her real family. It was also best to see how this whole thing played out too because Fury didn't believe that this was the last they would be seeing of the Stark girl.

* * *

It was three days later when Coulson called the Starks to confirm that Tony was the father of the still unnamed baby girl. They weren't surprised by any means; it was more unlikely that Tony _wasn't_ the father. Shield released the custody of the infant to Tony who was stumped as to what he was supposed to do with a baby when he was practically a kid himself. Maria was in love with the girl the moment she laid eyes on her while Howard remained neutral. Tony was always so scared around her.

What if he hurt her? Dropped her or something? It didn't take Howard long to be able to determine that Tony really didn't want to be there. He wasn't surprised at all at his son. His son seemed more concerned with women and partying than a newborn baby. Howard really couldn't judge him either. He had been the same way when he was Tony's age. It was really his own fault.

"Just go." He told Tony coldly. Tony stared up at his father in surprise.

"What?" Maria looked up from the newborn to watch her husband and son.

"Just leave. She's better off without you here. We'll take care of her. Don't you worry your pretty little head, son. We'll clean up your mess like we always do." Tony should've felt relief but he didn't. His father always had a way of putting him down and making him feel insignificant.

"Yeah, because you were such a great father." Tony told him sarcastically. "Whatever, I don't need this." He grabbed his jacket, starting to leave before his mother stopped him.

"Tony, please don't do this. Give her a chance, she's your daughter. She's a part of you." Maria lifted the newborn up so that he could see her. Tony paused for a moment as he stared at his daughter. It was the first time he had really gotten a good look at her. He hadn't been able to look her in the face before. Seeing her face to face had been too difficult for him to stomach…mainly because he knew it would mean that she was real and if she was real then that would mean that Tony was a father. Tony didn't want to be a father. He didn't want to turn out like his own father and make the kid resent him. No kid needed that.

But somehow Tony locked eyes with hers. He didn't know how it happened. One moment he was just staring at her cute little button nose and then he glanced up at her eyes. Tony didn't know how to explain it but he could've sworn he felt a pull as he stared into the somehow entrancing depths of her eyes. It was a weird feeling as he suddenly felt like he might drown in them but at the last second he blinked, looking away. There was no way he could be a father, not after having his own father as an example. He'd be a terrible father. What could he possibly give her? He was still nineteen. Frat parties were supposed to be his life. Not changing diapers and waking up at all hours of the morning to a screaming baby.

"I'm sorry, mom." Tony told her before walking out the door, closing it behind him. Maria's eyes were filled with unshed tears at her son's sudden departure.

"Why do you always have to push him away, Howard?" Howard met her gaze before looking down at their granddaughter and, for the first time since the mess started, he smiled at her fondly.

"I know, Maria, but it's for the best. Maybe once he's grown up a bit more, he can be a father but now is not the time." Maria nodded, knowing that he was probably right. "Anyways…does she have a name yet?"

"I've thought of a first name." Maria admitted and Howard raised a brow.

"Have you?" Maria blushed but nodded.

"Yes, I was thinking of Vivien." Howard chuckled.

"Of course you would want to name her after Miss Leigh. I should've known." Maria frowned _. Gone with the Wind_ was Maria's favorite movie. Howard had only watched it about a thousand times with his wife since he had met her. Howard was sure she would've named their son Clark instead of Anthony had he not stopped her.

"You don't like it?" Howard shook his head.

"No, I think it suits her just fine. What about a middle name? Don't tell me you've already named her Vivien Scarlett?" Maria shook her head.

"I'm not crazy, Howard." Howard smirked as he glanced back down at his granddaughter.

"I think I know. How about Maria? Vivien Maria Stark." Maria smiled, a blush coming over her face at her husband's suggestion.

"I think it's a lovely name." Maria told him as they both set their gaze on the newborn that was now fast asleep. She looked entirely peaceful and even Howard could feel his heart melting at the sight. Vivien Stark seemed to already be making a claim on both of her grandparent's hearts.

"Hello, Vivien," Howard said softly as both he and Maria looked down at her fondly. "I'm Howard, your grandfather, and this is your grandmother Maria. Welcome to the family."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I published this story a while ago but I've recently decided to rewrite it after not updating for the longest time. My writing's improved a lot since I last wrote it and I decided that it needed some re-editing as well as a different direction for the storyline. It just felt like I kind of randomly dropped my character in the Civil War storyline and she really needs a better backstory. So it'll take a lot longer to get to Civil War then it did before.**

 **This story obviously has a new title as well. So same character but different title and MAYBE different pairing.**

 **This story will take place pre-Iron Man, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Avenger's: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War.**

 **So I'm also not sure if I want to keep this story an Ivy Stark/Ant-Man pairing. I'm not even sure what pairing I would want it to be anymore. I'm just mainly focusing on Ivy's storyline for now. I'm not that interested in a Scott/OC pairing anymore and I know that might make people annoyed with me but I'm just not sure if I want to keep going with that. I just don't feel invested anymore in an Ivy/Scott pairing.**

 **Here are some ideas for pairings:**

 **Ivy Stark/Scott Lang(Again, I'm not saying that I won't go with that but I'm sure if I'm interested in it either)**

 **Ivy Stark/Steve Rogers(The original idea for my Tony Stark daughter fanfic was to make it a Steve/OC pairing so this might actually work out.)**

 **Ivy Stark/Bucky Barnes(I know Bucky killed Ivy's grandparents but I feel like she would be more understanding than Tony. Ivy also wasn't that close with her grandparents since they died when she was young. I can see a good storyline with this pairing as well so I think it might be a good pairing too.)**

 **Ivy Stark/Loki(I've never written a Loki fanfic before so it could be interesting. I'm not completely sure right now but we'll see.)**

 **Ivy Stark/T'Challa(I'm not really that invested in this one but I just decided to throw it out there)**

 **Right now I'm really thinking it'll either be Steve or Bucky but I'm not sure. It's kind of weird. I've never written a story before where I'm not sure about the pairing before going into it.**

 **I also just want to say that I own nothing except Ivy Stark.**


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: Okay, so I was originally planning on updating my story 'Some Things Never Sleep' before updating this one again but I just couldn't help myself. I am truly updating STNS after this though. One Word from You will come after that and then this one again hopefully. So that's kind of a rough outline of my update schedule.**

 **Some of you who aren't familiar with the original version of the story are probably wondering why I keep referring to Ivy as Vivien. That's not a mistake. Ivy is just a nickname and a name she'll later go by since Tony will find the name Vivien too stuffy and old lady sounding.**

 **I also decided recently that I will not be including the Thor storyline like I previously said in the prologue. Thor: The Dark World will be included but not Thor. I just decided to make a change in some of the character decisions for Ivy so it wouldn't really make sense for her to be in New Mexico when Thor comes to earth.**

 **Tumblr-0-Trash: Glad you're liking the story so much. I'm really excited too and especially since the pairing for this story is still up in the air. I'm really torn at this point so anything could really happen. I'm mostly just focusing on Ivy's relationship with her dad for now which will kind of be complicated.**

 **Athena05: You'll find more out about Ivy's powers in future chapters. At this point everyone knows that she's only half human but I'll go into details later. People who read the original version will know what she is but I don't want to ruin the surprise for new readers. If you really want to know then you can PM me and I'll be happy to tell you.**

 **I don't see any reason why I can't include Sam Wilson as a potential love interest. I love Anthony Mackie! I think he's one of the funniest people ever but I'm also aware that Sam Wilson doesn't get much love in the fanfiction community. Maybe it's because he doesn't have as big of a part as the other characters do. I just read that a lot of second tier marvel characters in the MCU will be getting their own series on Disney's new streaming platform so I hope that he'll get his own show or maybe if he and Bucky can share a show. That would actually be really cool and a dream come true. Loki and the Scarlet Witch are already confirmed but I hope Bucky and Sam will be getting their own shows too.**

 **I totally get what you mean about there not being a lot of Sam Wilson/OC pairings because I've never found one that I liked. I'm also not sure if that would happen in this story though since I'm really leaning towards a Bucky/OC pairing. I've thought of a different scenario for every character I've listed except for T'Challa but the one with Bucky is the one I'm really leaning towards at the moment. However, romance in this story is definitely going to be a ways away so I have plenty of time to consider these options. I'm not saying I'm picking Bucky but it's just what I'm feeling right now. A Steve/Ivy pairing would be cool too and I've definitely given a Sam/Ivy storyline some thinking after you suggested it. Sorry for all the rambling but I'm just trying to get my thoughts in order because I really have no clue what pairing I want. Time will tell, I guess.**

 **Oly E: I'm really leaning towards Bucky at the moment but I have given a Loki/Ivy storyline some thought. I've thought up a few various plot lines for that pairing, just like all the other pairings I'm considering, but I'm not sure how it would work past Thor: The Dark World since I'm going to be following a lot of the movie storylines. I don't know. I'm really loving the idea of a Bucky pairing at the moment but I might change my mind tomorrow. I've changed my mind so much over this matter in the past couple days so who really knows?**

 **Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Thank you.**

* * *

Life in the Stark family was peaceful the following two years. Vivien was everything Maria had ever wanted. Maria had always wanted a little girl but Howard was adamant about just sticking with the one child. However, it seemed like things had worked out in the end although it was nothing like what Maria ever expected. She didn't think she would be getting the little girl she always dreamed of through her son. Maria typically would've scolded her son more over the issue but she was just grateful for Vivien.

Vivien was two years old now and it honestly scared Maria how fast she was growing. She remembered feeling something similar when Tony was the same age too but it had been a while. Maria was sure that it wouldn't be long until Vivien was all grown up too. Time seemed to pass by quickly. Especially when there were children in the house.

Still…Maria was worried about Vivien's relationship with Tony. Tony had been distant these past two years. He made himself overwhelmingly scarce, mostly sticking to rooming with his friend Rhodey in Malibu while Howard and Maria lived in the Stark mansion in New York. Tony had only shown up to Vivien's first birthday party with Rhodey in tow who honestly seemed more enthusiastic to be there than Tony. Tony who mostly lurked in the background as Rhodey helped the one year old blow out the candles on her cake. For her second birthday Tony hadn't even shown up. Rhodey came in his place offering his apologies and claiming that Tony was tied up back in Malibu.

 _"_ _Tied up with what?" Maria had questioned with a disappointed look on her face. Howard just scoffed as he shook his head._

 _"_ _Tied up with some blonde with a huge rack more than likely." Howard said sarcastically. Maria gave him a look of disapproval while Rhodey just blushed._

 _"_ _I'm really sorry." He said once more before he went to drop off the gifts with all the others at the party. There was a toy piano from Rhodey since Maria had informed him that Vivien was showing quite the interest in music. There was also a stuffed penguin from Tony because penguins were currently Vivien's favorite animal. However, both Howard and Maria knew that Rhodey was really the one who picked out the penguin. Tony seemed to have taken a liking to pretending that he didn't have a daughter._

 _"_ _What's wrong with him, Howard?" Maria asked worriedly as she watched Rhodey kneel down in front of Vivien. He grinned at her as he greeted the two year old who only giggled in return._

 _"_ _I don't know, Maria." Howard said softly. She glanced up at her husband, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach._

 _"_ _She already lost a mother. She can't lose a father too." Maria said sadly. "It's not fair to her."_

 _"_ _No, it's not." Howard remarked, sounding just as sad as his wife while he quietly watched his granddaughter. Right now she was too young to know that her father wasn't there. She barely knew who her father was. But in a couple years time she would start noticing his absence more. She'd have more questions and Howard didn't know how he was going to answer those questions._

 _He understood what was happening now._

 _Howard was finally paying for all the mistakes he made with Tony. Well, technically his granddaughter was paying for his mistakes. Howard had made a lot of mistakes in his life but he thought he might've really screwed up with Tony. He only meant to toughen Tony up a bit…to make him independent. Howard never wanted Tony growing up to be like all the other spoiled brats in their social circles. The only way Howard had made it in this life was learning to do things on his own and depending on no one but himself. He had to be strong in this line of work and he wanted that for Tony too but he might've gone one step too far._

 _That much was clear now._

 _In his efforts in making Tony into someone who didn't need to depend on his parent's wealth and influence, he had made Tony into someone who didn't know how to be a father. Tony didn't know because Howard had never been a good enough father to him. Now the twenty one year old was so overwhelmed and frightened of the concept that he made sure to steer clear of any sign of his daughter. He was scared of his own daughter. This deeply troubled Howard but there was only one thing that seemed to course through his mind as he watched the two year old girl who had to spend her birthday without her father._

 _My fault. My fault. My fault._

This was several months ago. Vivien was now nearing her third birthday. She was more than half way to three and not to mention celebrating her third Christmas as well. Christmas seemed to be one of her favorite holidays and the Stark household was much more lively than usual with her in it. In fact, Vivien loved Christmas so much that she tried getting her grandparents to start decorating in July. Much to her disappointment that was a hard pass but they made a compromise for after Halloween.

"Grandma, who's that?" The small girl asked as she sat beside her grandmother on the piano bench. The two year old was already much smarter than most children her own age. Her speech and cognitive understanding was more developed than the average two year old, proving that she wasn't much different than her father. _It must be a Stark thing_ , Maria determined.

"Who are you talking about, sweet girl?" Maria questioned offhandedly, not knowing what the girl was talking about.

"The man on couch." She whispered and Maria glanced back at her son who was passed out on the couch. He was more than likely suffering from a terrible hangover after partying all night. Maria swallowed hard before returning her attention to the piano. Maria only realized then that this would be the first time Vivien would be meeting her father. The last time they had even been in the same room together was at Vivien's first birthday but Maria doubted she remembered that. It must've been so strange to not even know what your own father looked like. Maria felt pity for the poor young girl.

"He's your father, Vivien." Maria finally said after a long pause of silence. She watched the girl's large, doe like, brown eyes widen as she immediately whipped around to look at the man on the couch again. Maria smiled softly because she noticed that Vivien was looking more and more like Tony and Howard every day. They shared the same exact brown eyes that always seemed to contain that sparkle of mischief in their warm and chocolate-ty depths. The same brown locks of hair and even the same smile. Maria could already tell that Vivien was going to be incredibly beautiful when she grew up. She and Howard were definitely going to have their hands full with Vivien.

"Daddy?" She said in surprise and Maria nodded as she smiled kindly at the girl.

"Yes. He's your daddy." Maria told her and this seemed to excite the two year old girl. She practically squealed as she hopped up and down in her seat. Vivien hadn't asked a lot of questions about her father yet but she was a curious child just like her father and his father before him. Every now and then they'd get a random question about her father but never one that made sense.

 _Daddy's favorite food?_

 _Does he like Ninja Turtles?_

 _His favorite color?_

The serious questions hadn't come around yet. Vivien didn't seem that concerned with the absence of her father but they knew that would only change as she got older. With time, the more serious questions would come which had Maria worried. For now, however, Maria didn't mind answering questions like that for her curious granddaughter. The questions were innocent enough.

"Can I say hi?" The little girl questioned and Maria almost felt her heart break at the eager look on the girl's face. _Poor girl_ , Maria thought to herself. Now she was oblivious to her father's indifference but that would change soon enough. Vivien was a smart girl, after all.

"I'm afraid not, Vivien." Maria told her with a kind look on her face. Her face fell at her grandmother's response and a disappointed look replaced the previously happy one.

"Why not?" She asked and Maria sighed heavily before answering.

"Your daddy's not feeling very well right now, Vivien. Maybe you can say hi later." Maria said as she tried to explain away the fact that he was hungover.

"What's a hangover?" The small girl asked much to Maria's surprise. Maria looked at her incredulously.

"Excuse me?" Maria questioned and Vivien just looked at her curiously.

"Daddy has a hangover?" She questioned and Maria just stared at her in wonder. Had she really said that thought aloud? How odd…Maria could've sworn that she kept that particular thought of her son to herself but maybe she was mistaken. Maybe she was just talking to herself now.

"It's something that happens when adults feel a little under the weather. Nothing to worry about." Maria said reassuringly before returning her gaze to the piano. "Now come on. Pay attention."

Vivien continued to stare at her father who was covered up with a blanket. She couldn't see much of him other than a Santa hat creeping out from underneath the blanket but it was enough to draw her curiosity. The two year old knew she had a father even though she didn't have a mother. She just didn't know why he was never there.

He was always a mysterious subject to Vivien. Her grandmother would sometimes show her pictures from the photo albums but that wasn't enough for her. She wanted to see him in real life. She wanted to _know_ him in real life too. Vivien adored her grandparents but she wanted her daddy too. Seeing that her father wasn't going to be coming out from underneath that blanket anytime soon, Vivien finally tore her gaze away from him as she watched her grandmother play piano. A smile made its way onto her as she watched her grandmother. Her grandmother always had such a lovely voice. Vivien watched in fascination as her grandmother's long and elegant fingers hit the keys on the piano.

 _"_ _Try to remember the kind of September."_ Maria Stark sang softly as she looked over and smiled at her fascinated looking granddaughter. _"When grass was green."_ It was then that Howard Stark walked into the room with an unimpressed look on his face as he glanced down at his son on the couch.

"Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father." Maria told her son without turning back around as Howard threw the blanket off his son, revealing the hungover form of Tony Stark. Vivien immediately turned back around to get a glimpse of the mysterious stranger who was also her father.

"Who's the homeless person on the couch?" Howard asked sarcastically.

The man immediately stood up from the couch much to the two year old's delight. The man who was Vivien's father was younger then what she thought he'd be. He was incredibly young looking much to her surprise but he also looked a lot like her. Vivien couldn't help but continue to stare at her father in fascination. He was suddenly the most fascinating thing she had ever seen in her life.

"This is why I love coming home for Christmas…right before you leave town." Tony retorted as he smirked at his father. Vivien just watched her grandfather and the man, who was apparently her father, talk. Everything was incredibly interesting to her in that moment.

"Be nice, dear. He's been studying abroad." Maria told her husband as she continued to play the piano. Howard raised his eyebrows as he stared at his son.

"Really? Which broad? What's her name?" Howard questioned and Vivien suddenly didn't know what they were talking about. It sounded like gibberish to her.

"Candice." Tony answered as Howard ripped the Santa hat off his head and tossed it aside.

"Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday." Howard said as he gave his son a knowing look. Tony's smirk was unwavering as his gaze remained locked onto his father.

"Okay, so it's Monday?" Tony inquired as he sauntered across the room, closer to where Vivien was sitting. "That is good to know. I will plan my toga party accordingly."

It was only then that Tony noticed Vivien for the first time since he had gotten up from the couch. He had known she was in the room before. He could hear her soft voice as she spoke to his mother but he hadn't really seen her until then. Tony briefly looked down at her, analyzing her appearance. He was momentarily surprised by how much she had grown since he had seen her last.

The last time he had seen her was at her first birthday party but it was still shocking to him that she looked so much bigger since then. She was like a little…person. Tony knew she was two now, close to three, but somehow it was terrifying to him that she was getting older. She was growing up and every time Tony saw her, she was older. He was to blame for that. He was to blame for not being there for her but Tony still couldn't bear the thought of being a father. The concept was terrifying.

Vivien locked eyes with her father as he looked down at her. She silently pleaded with him to acknowledge her or even just smile at her. Vivien wanted nothing more than for her daddy to notice her and shower her with affection. Her grandparents already did that but she wanted her daddy close to her as well. However, Tony did none of those things as he then looked over at his mother and ignored his daughter. The hopeful look fell off Vivien's face.

"Where are you going?" Tony asked his mother as he decided to get his mind off his daughter. Those warm brown eyes seemed to have an effect on him and Tony wasn't sure if he liked that.

"Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway. Just a short trip before Christmas." Maria said as she smiled at her granddaughter, silently reassuring Vivien that they would be back before Santa came around. The little girl just smiled back at her happily.

"We might have to make a quick stop." Howard added.

"At the Pentagon, right?" Tony said as he gave his father a knowing look before smirking at his mother. "Don't worry. You're going to love the holiday menu at the commissary."

"You know, they say sarcasm is the metric for potential." Howard said pointedly as Tony then learned against the doorway. "If that's true you'll be a great man someday. I'll get the bags." Howard said before he left the room. Vivien didn't waste any time turning to her grandmother after that much to Tony's curiosity.

"Grandma, I'll miss you." Vivien said quietly as she then looked at her grandmother with a sad look on her face. Maria smiled sadly at the girl as she affectionately ran her thumb over her the girl's face before leaning down and pressing a chaste kiss against her forehead.

"I know, sweet girl, but Grandpa and I will be home soon. Just in time for Christmas." Maria told the two year old. "Santa knows you've been a good girl this year so there will be lots of presents. I'm sure of it."

"Wait a second." Tony said as he looked in between his mother and daughter incredulously. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "Are you saying that she's staying _here._ As in she's not going on the trip with you?"

"That's correct." Maria answered as Vivien looked back at her father curiously. "Vivien won't be going on this trip with us, I'm afraid. She'll be staying here until we come back."

"What? So I have to babysit her?" Tony questioned in disbelief and Vivien felt like she was about to cry. She might've been two but she wasn't stupid. She knew when she wasn't wanted and not being wanted by your father was utterly devastating for a child.

"It's not babysitting when it's your own child." Maria scolded as she glared at him. She couldn't believe the nerve of her son sometimes. It's like he didn't have any idea the level of hurt he could cause someone by saying something like that. Sometimes her son was a little _too_ much like his father. He was utterly clueless.

It was then that Howard walked back into the room, disapproving of the way his son was on the verge of making Vivien cry. The last thing they needed was for Vivien to throw a tantrum before they left. It was difficult enough trying to explain to her that she couldn't come with them on the trip. The two year old had quite the attachment to her grandparents. She didn't even like being away from her grandmother for more than five minutes. It was difficult getting her to accept the fact that they were leaving so Howard didn't want his son to screw it all up.

"But to answer your question…no. You will not be babysitting Vivien." Howard told his son. The older man scoffed before shaking his head. "You honestly think we would be irresponsible enough to leave her alone with _you_? Most certainly not. Jarvis will be looking after her while we're away."

"Jarvis?" Tony questioned doubtfully. Howard nodded.

"Yes. We would have to be insane to leave Vivien here with you alone." Howard told him much to Tony's annoyance. Vivien just watched the two men curiously. Despite the hurt she felt from her father ignoring her, she was excited to spend some time with him at the mansion. She had never been around him before so the idea of spending the holidays with him was exciting.

"Thanks a lot, Pops." Tony said sarcastically and Maria just sighed as she got up from the piano bench. Her son was deeply troubled. Maria knew this. She just hoped with her whole heart that Tony at least made an effort in getting to know his daughter while they were gone. Vivien really needed a father but Tony also needed her. They needed one and other and Maria thought they would be good for each other too. She leaned in close to her son as she spoke in a softer and quieter voice so Vivien wouldn't hear.

"Please, at least, try to get to know your daughter." Maria pleaded with him as he stared back at her in silence. "Please…she notices your absence."

"Mom…" Tony whined, not seeming too eager to spend his time with a two year old. That was actually the last thing he wanted to do. He was planning on throwing a party at the mansion which he couldn't do with Jarvis and a two year old there. This was just great. Tony knew he sounded like an asshole but that was the truth. While he may have been an asshole, Tony certainly wasn't a sociopath. He knew ignoring the existence of his daughter was a very shitty thing to do. He already felt guilty enough without actually being around her. Tony didn't want to be reminded of how shitty of a father he was which he knew being around her would do to him.

"Please, Tony. For me." Maria asked, her eyes almost desperate. Tony swallowed hard because he knew he wasn't going to be able to turn down his mother's request. Not when she looked at him like that.

Damn it.

"Fine." Tony said as he finally gave in to her. Maria smiled contently as she took a step back, satisfied with Tony's answer. She then glanced at the two year old who was still watching her and Tony interact. Maria smiled brightly at the girl before picking her up from the piano bench. The little girl giggled as Maria held her close.

"I'll miss you and grandpa." Vivien said once more as Maria pressed another chaste kiss against her forehead. Tony rolled his eyes. He didn't know how anyone could miss his father. His father was the most unpleasant person in the world to be around. Tony assumed that the kid would figure that out for herself soon enough.

"We'll miss you too." Maria told her sincerely. "Don't worry. We'll be back before you know it."

"In time for Santa?" The two year old asked and Maria smiled again before nodding.

"Yes. Just in time for Santa." Maria confirmed. "Maybe we'll take you to the ballet when we get back…if you've been a good girl."

"Really?" Vivien asked excitedly, a bright and happy smile on her face. Tony tried not to let the way she couldn't pronounce her R's affect him. _It wasn't cute_ , he tried to tell himself. It was actually really pathetic if you thought about it. This kid was the future of Stark Industries. She should know how to pronounce things by now. No, it wasn't cute at all. It wasn't even adorable.

"Of course." Howard said as he walked over to his wife and granddaughter with a smile on his face before giving his son a pointed look. "Although I don't think _you're_ the one we have to worry about misbehaving."

"I'll be good. I promise." Vivien promised her grandfather as the man tore his gaze away from his son to look back at her. "I love you, grandpa."

"I love you too, munchkin." Howard said, his gaze soft, as he then affectionately ruffled the girl's hair. Vivien giggled while Tony was just left to sulk in silence. _Of course_ his daughter would be his father's favorite _. Of course_ she would be the precious apple of his father's eyes. The world was that fucking cruel.

Maria then set the two year old on the ground next to Tony. The little girl seemed disappointed to be parted from her grandmother so soon but she was also happy to spend time with her father. Tony, however, was terrified at spending time with his daughter. He didn't know her and he didn't know how to deal with her. Hopefully Jarvis would keep the kid entertained while he worked in the lab until his parents came home. Maybe he would barely even have to interact with her. Certainly not at dinner. Tony rarely ate a conventional dinner like a normal person. That was one thing he inherited from his father.

"We'll be back soon." Howard told his son sternly, any trace of softness was now gone. Tony withheld the urge to snort. It was clear to him who was the favorite in this family. The kid was a better and improved version of himself. Probably even more so if she showed any signs of having a prodigy level intellect which was highly likely. Rhodey always told Tony about how smart Vivien was and especially for someone that age. She could already read chapter books at the level of a six grader. Tony didn't doubt that she would become everything his father ever dreamed of in a Stark. Something Tony didn't think he would ever achieve. Nothing he did was ever good enough for his father, after all.

"Whatever." Tony mumbled.

"Be good." Maria said seriously and Vivien smiled brightly.

"I will." Vivien told her and Maria just gave her an amused look.

"I was actually talking to your father." Maria said with a small smirk on her face. Tony scoffed, looking the opposite of amused at his mother's remark.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Tony said as he made a pouting face. Maria just gave him an affectionate look.

"I love you both. Be nice to each other." Maria told them as Howard began to usher them towards the door, bags in hand. The older Stark gave his son a stern look before his gaze softened once more as he looked at his granddaughter. Howard gave her one last smile before he followed his wife out the door. Little did Vivien and Tony know that it would be the last time they ever saw Howard and Maria Stark. Vivien wouldn't remember them years down the road but Tony would. He would tell her stories about them as she listened curiously. Tony would leave out the fact that they were better parents to her than he could ever be.

She didn't need to know that.

The sound of the front door of the mansion opening and closing signaled to them that they were finally alone. The twenty one year old and two year old must've stood there in silence for what felt like forever. Vivien stared up at her father with intelligence in her eyes that was far beyond what would've been normal for an average two year old. Tony looked back down at her uncomfortably, not knowing what to say or how to interact with her. He was clueless at this point.

"What?" Tony questioned, growing tired of having her stare at him. Maybe she was his kid, after all. She sure as hell acted just as weird as he did. "What is it, kid? Spit it out. I don't have all day."

"Daddy?" Vivien finally said, her warm brown eyes filled with curiosity. Tony stared back at her in horror. Oh god, was this really happening? Nope. No, no, no. Absolutely not. Tony couldn't deal with this. This was too much. He then looked around the room desperately as it somehow felt way hotter in the house all of a sudden. Tony was really starting to sweat underneath his t-shirt as he made a point of avoiding the two year old's gaze.

"Jarvis?! I need you in here like yesterday! Chop chop!"


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: I honestly got a tiny bit emotional writing this chapter. I'm sure you'll see why. I think the next chapter will skip ahead a few years just so you know.**

 **The face claim for this story is still Alicia Vikander in case you were wondering. I thought about changing it but I still picture her as Ivy.**

 **nathan19bane: I was leaning towards Steve before but the pairing for this story changes for me every single day if I'm being honest. There's already so many Tony's Daughter/Captain America fanfics so I don't know how I would do my own spin on it. Like I said, the pairing changes daily for me so I still don't have a clue what to do.**

 **Squidoverlord: I don't want to say that a Scott pairing is completely out of the question but part of the reason I stopped writing this story was because I just wasn't invested in it anymore. I don't know what pairing I'm going to do but I'm not sure if it'll be Scott/Ivy anymore. I'm just going to see where the story takes me and how Ivy's character develops before I make any decisions though.**

 **ilypopxtart333: I have to be honest. I've been really liking a Sam/Ivy pairing this week. Last week I was thinking of Bucky but this week I've been thinking of how the storyline would go if Sam was the one because there's really a lack of Sam/OC stories on here. I think it would be fun but I'm still considering all my options here.**

 **ThatMysteriousSlime: Well, Loki and Wanda will be getting their own separate shows as well as some other characters they haven't announced yet. I don't think they'll be in a show together. I just hope Vision is in the Scarlet Witch show. It's kind of funny since I remember Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany in an interview talking about how they wanted Vision and Scarlet Witch to have their own show so maybe they were hinting towards something. I will PM some recommendations. I think I just have one which is a crossover between Avengers and Sherlock but it never got finished unfortunately but I still really loved it but I think I have another one too maybe so I'll go see. Anyways...I'll just PM you the recommendations but I don't think I have many. There's not a lot that I've found that I like. I guess I can just be picky when it comes to that.**

 **Thanks to Purplestan and Athena05 for reviewing as well. Thanks for all the favorites and follows as well.**

* * *

"Miss Stark?! Miss Stark?!" Jarvis called out as the elderly butler searched for the two year old. Howard and Maria had only been gone for a couple hours and Jarvis was already having trouble with the toddler. She was a tricky one…not too different from how her father had been. Howard too for that matter. Jarvis could never keep up with the oldest Stark either. _It must've been a Stark thing_ , Jarvis determined.

All three Starks seemed to have a talent for getting into trouble.

Vivien covered her mouth as she tried not to giggle too loudly. She was currently hiding in one of the cupboards in the kitchen as Jarvis ran frantically around the mansion looking for her. In Vivien's mind they were playing hide and seek but to Jarvis he was on the verge of having a heart attack. Vivien didn't see it that way though. Hide and seek was her favorite game, after all.

"Please come out, Miss Stark! This isn't funny!" Jarvis said as he walked right past Vivien in the kitchen. She watched him go by without saying a word and pretty soon he left the kitchen to go look for her in another part of the mansion.

Vivien's didn't know how long she had waited there for Jarvis to find her before she started getting bored. That was the thing about playing hide and seek. You had to wait for the person to find you and it was even more boring if it was Jarvis who she was playing it with. Jarvis always took forever to find her. It wasn't until she heard footsteps in the kitchen that she felt her curiosity peak. She knew the footsteps didn't belong to Jarvis because they were much softer. Probably because Jarvis wore those fancy shoes of his.

Tony walked into the kitchen at that moment, immediately seeking out the fridge for a quick bite to eat before he went back into the lab. He was currently working on a more private and secret project that he didn't want his dad catching any wind of. His father was always criticizing every little thing that Tony did so he didn't need him criticizing his work too. Tony knew that if his project wasn't a weapon then his father wouldn't be impressed. Not that anything could impress that man anyways.

Tony opened the fridge and immediately pulled out the box of pizza he had ordered the night before. The box was only half empty and Tony fully intended on finishing the rest of the pizza. He didn't even waste time with putting the pizza in the microwave. He set the pizza on the kitchen counter and immediately started filling his face with cold pizza. Tony was about half way finished with his first slice when he noticed something odd on the kitchen floor. Tony's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he saw a piece of floral patterned fabric sticking out from between one of the cupboard doors. How odd…

Tony's curiosity was overpowering as he immediately set his slice of pizza back on the counter before kneeling down on the floor. The twenty one year old didn't waste any time opening the doors to the cupboard to see what was inside. When he saw an actual person hidden inside the cupboard, Tony jumped in surprise. It only took him a second before he realized it wasn't a giant rat hidden inside the cupboard. It was only his daughter. Tony immediately rested his hand over his heart as he tried to calm himself down.

"What the hell, kid!" Tony said as he glared at the little girl dressed in a frilly floral patterned dress his mother probably forced her to wear. She just stared back at him. Her eyes were wide and curious but she didn't seem bothered by the fact that she had almost given him a heart attack. She seemed almost…oblivious.

"What are you doing in there? Do you creep around on people often?" Tony questioned and it didn't escape the two year old's notice that he didn't talk to her like she was a baby. Her grandmother, Rhodey, and Jarvis always talked to her that way but not her daddy apparently. It was something he had in common with her grandpa. Her grandpa who her daddy looked so much like. The similarities were obvious to even her two year old mind as he was mere inches from her face.

"Hide and seek." The little girl whispered and realization dawned on Tony. He had heard Jarvis stomping around upstairs from all the way down in his father's lab. It occurred to him that Jarvis was probably rushing around in worry as he tried to find her.

"So that's what Jarvis was hollering about." Tony said as he looked back at the toddler. "And here I thought he lost his reading glasses or something. Huh…figures."

"Shhh…" The toddler told him as she brought her finger to her lips. "No one find me." Tony didn't know whether to be amused or annoyed by the girl. A part of him fondly remembered the times he used to hide from Jarvis. He always used to love driving the older man crazy. He actually hid in the same cupboard as Vivien was currently hiding in. Jarvis hadn't been able to find him for hours.

"Okay. I get it. You're in it to win it." Tony said as he then proceeded to close the cupboard doors and pretend like he hadn't seen her in the first place. Mostly because he was afraid if he turned her in to Jarvis then the old man would try to get him to spend time with her. "See you around, kid."

"Wait." Tony heard the small, feminine voice say. He raised an eyebrow before he opened the cupboard door again. Tony gave the two year old a questioning look as she stared at him.

"What is it?" Tony questioned and two year old gave him a nervous look before speaking.

"I'm hungry." She told him and Tony was left stumped by this. He gave her a confused look.

"And you're telling me this because…" Tony trailed off and the two year old looked frustrated by his inability to understand what she meant by this.

"I'm hungry." She repeated but this time her face was scrunched up in annoyance. Tony almost wanted to smile at the look on her face because she was kind of cute when she looked annoyed. He wasn't saying she was growing on him or anything but he thought she was cute in general…like anyone with eyes would find the action cute as well. It was the general population kind of thing. Not just him exclusively.

"So?" Tony said and the little girl huffed as she crossed her arms. Tony then realized what she was trying to tell him. She was trying to tell him that she was hungry and he had to get her something. Hmmph…yeah, right. This kid clearly didn't know who he was. Tony didn't run around and fetch food for the likes of a two year old little brat. That was beneath him. It was something that was more in Jarvis's payroll.

"I'm hungry!" She said more loudly when Tony didn't do anything. Tony winced at her whiny voice as he then grew scared that she was going to throw some kind of tantrum. Oh, god. What the hell was he going to do if she cried? His parents would probably kill him if he made her cry.

"Fine, fine. I'll get you something." Tony said as he gave in to her bossiness. He was willing to do anything to keep her calm and from throwing a fit. The last thing he needed was for that kid to cry and get her snot all over him. Gross. "Just relax."

Tony then stood up from the floor as he started thinking about what he was going to do. What was he going to get her? He didn't know what two year olds were supposed to eat. Did they still eat baby food? Did they even have teeth? Tony had no fucking clue. If only he knew his stay at his parents house would be this stressful. He probably would've spent Christmas in Portugal or something.

"Hey, kid! You have teeth, right?" Tony asked.

"Yes. I'm a big girl." Vivien answered in a small yet proud sounding voice. Tony just snorted as he started trying to think of what she could eat. Maybe pizza? Two year olds ate pizza, right? Tony tried remembering if he had eaten pizza as a two year old but he couldn't remember. Normally Tony wouldn't be too willing to share his pizza. Especially since this was the good stuff from his favorite pizzeria in Queens but he didn't know what else to do. It's not like Tony could cook or anything.

Pizza would have to do.

"Here's some pizza, kid. Knock yourself out." Tony told her as he knelt back down on the floor, pizza in hand, and practically shoved the pizza in the girl's face. He watched a little hand reach out of the cupboard as she quietly took the pizza from him. The corner of Tony's mouth lifted up in amusement. He thought she resembled a little goblin or woodland creature that hid in cupboards. _A little pizza monster_ , Tony thought to himself as he got back up from the floor to finish off the pizza on the counter. He was, however, stopped when he heard what she said next.

"Daddy?" She said softly and Tony stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened at the name. It was the second time she called him daddy that day. Why was she so hell bent on calling him daddy? Tony was way too young to be called something like that. He was Tony and that was it. There was no other name for him but Tony.

He then swallowed hard as he began to wonder about how he should proceed. Did he answer to that name or did he just ignore her? If he answered to that name then she would just keep calling him that. Tony thought it was best to keep himself distant from her since it wasn't like he was going to stick around or anything. He didn't want her getting attached although he doubted she would ever get attached to someone like him. Vivien would realize how much of an asshole he was soon enough. Kids tended to have the best asshole radars, after all. They just had a sixth sense about that kind of thing.

"Daddy?" Vivien said again and Tony took a deep breath before he turned around.

"What is it now?" Tony said in annoyance but his annoyed tone seemed to go over the girl's head.

"Eat with me." She requested quietly. A puzzled look came over Tony's face as he stared down at the cupboard. He really couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a cupboard at this point.

"What?" Tony questioned, not quite understanding her meaning. She was two years old so he probably just misunderstood her.

"Eat with me." She repeated but she sounded a little impatient this time. A little demanding even. This proved to Tony that she was a bit spoiled. There was no doubt in his mind that his parents spoiled her and it was more apparent to him that she was used to getting her way. Tony hadn't been that different when he was her age.

"I'm not going to eat on the floor. I'm not a dog." Tony said as he scoffed.

"Eat _with_ me!" She demanded, her voice growing louder. Tony flinched at the sound of her high pitched voice and he already knew he was going to cave in. Her tone was threatening. Not in a way that was scary but in a way that told him if he didn't give in to her demands then he would regret it. She'd probably throw a huge tantrum which was the last thing Tony wanted to deal with.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." Tony said as he finally gave the two year old what she wanted. He grabbed a couple slices of pizza off the counter before he reluctantly got down on to the floor which was something he already said he wasn't going to do. He sighed heavily as he seated himself next to the cupboard she was sitting in. Tony observed the way she quietly watched him through the open door as she ate her pizza. She watched him with eyes that were identical to his own and Tony was forced to see the resemblance even if he didn't want to.

"You're a spoiled brat. You know that, right?" Tony told her around a mouth full of pizza. Vivien watched him quietly, remembering the time her grandfather told her not to talk with her mouth full. Her grandfather said it was unbecoming for a young lady but Vivien's daddy didn't seem to have any care for proper manners. "Mom and dad have spoiled you rotten because you're really just awful. You don't tell adults what to do. You're two."

Tony thought he might make her cry with his harsh words but the little girl didn't seem fazed by his bluntness. She just continued to watch him with more maturity than what was normal for a two year old. _She's spent too much time around dad_ , Tony thought to himself. It made sense why she was used to bluntness and harsh words. Tony realized that maybe the two year old had a thicker skin than he did at her age. He was always crying and seeking his father's attention but Vivien seemed different. She didn't seem to be as sensitive as Tony used to be.

"God, I can't believe they named you Vivien." Tony complained as he changed the subject. "Talk about old lady names. It's literally the stuffiest name I've ever heard. _Vivien_. You sound like you're married to some hundred year old English landowner." Tony only paused briefly as he looked back at her.

"You're going to be made fun of a lot in school for having that name. As if life wasn't going to suck for you enough but they had to go and name you _Vivien_." Tony said, his nose wrinkling up in disgust at the name as he said it. "You'll probably skip a ton of grades so you'll always be the youngest kid there which will also make you an outcast. No one will want to be your friend. Trust me, I know."

"I don't like my name too." The little girl said quietly and it was probably the longest sentence Tony had heard her say yet. She was two so her speech was still limited but Tony was surprised to hear her speak for that long. Vivien also normally seemed quiet which was the opposite of him. He raised his eyebrows at her, an amused smirk on his face.

"So you don't like your name either, huh?" Tony said as he shrugged. "That's okay. Personally, I would've named you something way cooler. Maybe Antonia since you're a girl and you can't really be named Anthony Jr."

"No." Vivien said as she wrinkled her nose in disgust in a manner that wasn't so different from what Tony had done earlier. Tony allowed himself to forget the fact that he was probably going to regret interacting with her. Not because he didn't like her but because he didn't want her getting attached. Tony wasn't exactly a present father, after all.

"How about Audi? After the car?" Tony suggested but the two year old didn't look very pleased. "Demi? As in Demi Moore. Demi Moore's pretty hot so I'm doing you a favor with that one."

"No." Vivien said again and Tony chuckled.

"You're really picky, kid." Tony told her and the little girl just smiled back at him. Tony couldn't help but find her smile infectious as he returned her smile this time, unable to help himself.

The two Starks spent the rest of the hour finishing off the pizza which Vivien probably shouldn't have been eating but neither of them cared. Tony continued listing off all the names he would've named her if given the chance and Vivien disagreed with every single one of his picks. They made a compromise on Ruby, Vivien because she liked the name and Tony because it made him think of the Rolling Stone's song 'Ruby Tuesday', but there seemed to be something there between Tony and Vivien despite how much Tony tried to convince himself he was only doing what his mother asked of him.

Maybe he did actually like his daughter. Maybe he was interested in her, after all. Tony just didn't want to admit it. There was a lot Tony tried to convince himself of after spending some quality time with Vivien. The bonding time he shared with her made Tony want to leave the mansion immediately and head back to Malibu. He wanted to leave because he was scared of getting close to her. Not because he didn't want to get to know her but because Tony was afraid of _her_ getting to know _him_. He was afraid because he knew he would disappoint her one way or another. However, it turned out that Tony didn't have much choice in the matter anyways. Life had other plans for the Starks as that became the day their lives would change forever.

Just not in the way Tony ever expected.

* * *

"Obie, what do you mean? What happened?" Tony asked Obadiah Stane, a friend of the family since forever, as he tried to get his thoughts in order. The older man had just called Tony abruptly but Tony knew from the moment he answered the phone that the man didn't have any good news for him. In fact, the only time Obadiah ever called was when he had bad news. Tony just didn't know what kind of bad news this was.

"Tony, there was an accident in Long Island a short while ago." Obadiah told Tony in a sad, resigned tone. Tony could feel his heart racing in his chest because even though Obadiah hadn't said it, Tony knew exactly what he was going to say. He didn't want to hear it and especially didn't want to believe it but he already knew what happened before the words even came out of Obadiah's mouth. "I don't know how else to say it but I'll be very frank with you, Tony. There's no easy way to say something like this either but your dad lost control of the car and they crashed into a telephone pole."

"And they're…" Tony trailed off, not able to say the words himself.

"They've since passed. Dead on the scene." Obadiah said bluntly but also sympathetically. Tony swallowed hard as he tried to process this information but there wasn't really a way to process something like that. Not when it was _your_ parents who were dead. The very same parents Tony had only seen a couple short hours ago but somehow between then and now they had died. How did life even work like that? One moment they were here and then the next they were gone. Tony didn't understand how it worked.

"I understand that you'll need some time to…process this. Take all the time you need, Tony." Obadiah said reassuringly. Tony could barely nod his head as his mind seemed to be everywhere at the moment.

"Okay…" He said quietly. "We really do need to talk about the future later though. In a week or two...or whenever you're ready."

"Yes." Tony said in a monotone voice. He felt like he wasn't even in his own body at that point in time. It was like he somewhere else watching all this like it was some kind of fucked up movie.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss, Tony. Your father was a good man. Your mother was an amazing woman too." Obadiah said comfortingly but Tony was beyond comfort right now. He was somewhere else as he struggled to come to terms with the fact that his parents were dead. Never to return from their impromptu vacation. They were just…gone. Forever.

"I know." Tony said, sounding a bit out of it but Obadiah didn't seem too concerned either way.

"Just get some rest, Tony. We can discuss funeral arrangements tomorrow." Obadiah said before he hung up the phone and Tony was left in complete and utter silence. Normally Tony would've been pissed off by how nonchalant Obadiah was about the whole circumstance. He would've cussed the man out or hung up on him but Tony was still in shock.

Could this really be happening? The whole world he knew was being flipped upside down and there was nothing Tony could do to stop it. His parents were gone and Tony was left alone. Alone without his parents, despite all the trouble he had with them in the past, and alone in this huge mansion with nothing but the matter of their death to think about it. He suddenly remembered that morning and how terrible he had been to them. How sarcastic and uncaring he had acted. Tony realized that he hadn't even told his mother that he loved her before she left. He was a terrible son.

"Daddy?" Tony turned around to spot the two year old standing in the doorway of his bedroom. He normally would've told the little girl to get lost or go find Jarvis but he couldn't find it in himself to do it in this moment. Not when she was looking at him with those doe eyes. It occurred to Tony that he wasn't alone. Not with Vivien there.

"Hey, kid." Tony said, wincing at how dry his voice sounded. He didn't even bother to notice that it was the first time he didn't notice the way she called him daddy. He just accepted it and smiled at her although he was sure the smile looked more like a grimace. Especially with the emotional state he was in. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Can't sleep." She said before yawning. For the first time since learning of his parent's death, Tony smiled.

"Really? Because you sure look tired to me." Tony said in amusement but the little girl shook her head furiously.

"I'm not." She argued and Tony just stared at her. He stared at the little two year old in her little mermaid pajamas. She had no idea how much her life was going to change tomorrow. It wasn't just Tony who had lost his parents. She lost them too. She lost the two people that might actually be able to care for her in a way Tony never could. Tony realized then that his parents would no longer be able to raise her. If they weren't able to raise her then who would?

It occurred to Tony in that moment that he was more than likely going to have to care for her now. There was no one else who could. He was all she had left and she was also all Tony had left too. This was never what Tony wanted. Tony never thought he was suitable enough to care for her but he didn't seem to have any other choice. His parents, who were supposed to raise her, were now dead and Tony was left with one of the biggest multi-industrial companies on the planet but he was also left with a daughter as well.

"Come here." Tony said as he gestured for her to come over to him. Vivien didn't hesitate in following his command as she entered his room and walked up to him. He was sitting on the edge of his bed but Vivien couldn't help but notice that he seemed sadder than he had earlier in the afternoon when they were eating pizza. There seemed to be a lonely and lost look in his eyes which made Vivien feel sad in return.

Tony didn't know what drove him to do it. Maybe he just felt lonely or maybe he just regretted the way he stayed away from her these past two years. Either way, Tony picked the two year old up and placed her on his lap. The little girl giggled from the sudden action, happy that her father seemed to finally have taken interest in her. It was the first gesture of fatherly affection he had given her in the entire time they spent together.

"Daddy?" Vivien asked as she frowned at the sad look on her father's face. Despite the smile he gave her, she knew he was sad. She could just feel it. "Why are you sad?" Tony just shook his head as he tried to pretend like everything was okay.

"I'm fine, kid. Just fine." Tony tried assure her but it was clear the two year old was more perceptive than what he gave her credit for. He laughed humorlessly as he hesitantly pushed a loose strand of her brown hair behind her ear, her hair feeling soft and silky between his fingers. How did he neglect her for this many years? How did he ignore this child who deserved better? Tony didn't know. Maybe he really was a self-centered bastard, after all.

"It's just that…well, I'm sorry I haven't been around that much." Tony said as he apologized to the two year old who just quietly listened to him. "I know I should've been here more but…" Tony took a deep breath before continuing in what he was going to say.

"Sometimes people make mistakes. Sometimes they do terrible things because they're afraid but that doesn't make it any less of a mistake. People just mess up sometimes." Tony told her honestly and Vivien gave him a curious look.

"Even daddys like you?" She asked him and Tony just smiled softly at her. He made a decision then. A very important and crucial decision. It was made in the heat of the moment, a very vulnerable moment after learning of his parents death, but Tony was convinced then, and for the rest of his life, that it had been the right decision to make. There was no doubt in his mind about that.

"Especially ones like me." Tony told her and she seemed to accept that answer as Tony continued to apologize to her. "Look, I just want to say that I'm sorry I haven't been here. It had nothing to do with you. It was all me." Tony didn't know what she was going to say. A part of him was afraid that she would hate him or hop down from his lap and leave which was ridiculous because she was two. Two year olds didn't have it in them to resent people but Tony was still frightened that his apology wouldn't be enough.

"It's okay, Daddy. I forgive you." Vivien said a moment later, destroying what fears Tony had inside. She made him feel ridiculous for ever thinking that she would hate him. The two year old then leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek in a way that took Tony by surprise. The young father could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest from the kiss. She pulled away and Tony was unable to look at anything _but_ her. From her soft brown locks of hair, her big brown eyes, and even to her cute little button nose. Vivien became the single most beautiful thing Tony had ever laid his eyes on.

"Why are you crying, Daddy?" She asked him, seeming almost worried. Tony realized then that his eyes were filled with unshed tears. It was funny that it hadn't been his parent's death that made him cry but it was his daughter's beauty that made him an emotional wreck. It was the realization of how stupid he had been. He spent all this time goofing off across the world when he could've had her in his arms this whole time. Tony started cursing himself for not being there for her. He seemed like the world's most stupid idiot in the world right now.

"No reason. It's just that…" Tony said as he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked back at her. "You're really beautiful. You know that?" The two year old blushed as she locked eyes with her father.

"You're pretty too." She said quietly and almost shyly. Tony just chuckled despite the emotional state he was in.

"I'm glad you think so." Tony told her as he ran a thumb across her cheek. He wanted to memorize every part of her just so he wouldn't forget the way she looked. The thought of somehow forgetting the way she looked frightened him more than anything. He wanted to remember. He didn't want to forget any part of her.

"Daddy?" Vivien said quietly but Tony was too busy looking at her to pay that much attention. He was too busy admiring the kid that somehow had come from him. Tony never thought he would be able to create something so beautiful…so adorable. He didn't think he had it in him but he did because Vivien was perfect. She was perfect in every way.

"Hmmm…" Tony mumbled as he continued to hold her in his arms.

"I love you." She told him and Tony looked up at her in surprise. He was surprised because he hadn't expected to hear those words. The only person who had ever told Tony they loved him was his mother. She was the only one. Sure, there had been women that said the same thing to him but Tony didn't think they actually loved _him_. They just loved the _idea_ of him but this was different. The look in his daughter's eyes told Tony that she was confident in the words she said. She really did love him.

Coming from a child, those words probably didn't mean as much. Children loved everything and everyone but somehow it still meant a lot to Tony. She was so innocent and naïve despite how Tony had practically abandoned her at birth. Vivien should hate him, she would even have the right to hate him, but she didn't. She loved him despite his many flaws and mistakes.

Tony only paused for a moment as he considered whether or not he loved her too although it didn't take him long to come up with an answer. It was all so strange and fast. Tony never believed in love at first sight. He didn't really even believe in the concept of falling in love either but somehow he had managed to fall for this girl in the span of a single day. Tony thought he had fallen hard for her too. Loving someone that quickly should've been crazy but it wasn't. She was his daughter and he was her father. Loving her came quite easy to Tony. It was natural.

"I love you too." Tony said softly before he reached over and pulled her closer to his chest. He didn't feel as sad as before because he knew he wasn't alone. His parents might've been gone but he still had Vivien. Nothing would change that. Tony kissed the top of her head which caused her to giggle but he was just delighted in the fact that he was holding her in his arms. Someone who he loved and who loved him in return. It was the purest kind of love too. The love between a father and daughter.

"Vivien, I'm going to make you a promise." Tony said as he pulled back slightly so he could look at her. The two year old looked up at him curiously. "I promise that I'll never leave you again. It'll just be me and you from here on out. Do you like the sound of that?"

"Yes." Vivien said happily as she smiled at her father. Tony smiled back.

"It'll be fun, right? You and me together…taking on the world." Tony said as he thought of all the things they could do. Maybe it wouldn't be as scary as he thought raising a child would be. Maybe Vivien could be his little lab assistant. His father never let him in the lab but he wasn't going to do the same thing to Vivien. Maybe the key wasn't avoiding her. Maybe the key was spending time with her and telling her that he loved her. His father never did those things with him but maybe Tony could do better and love his daughter in a way his father never loved him. He could learn from his father's mistakes.

"I love you so much, Daddy." Vivien said in delight before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Tony chuckled from the ambush before he rested a hand on her back and holding her there.

It was somewhat sad that it only took his parents death to bring him closer to his daughter. Tony just wished he could've come to his senses much sooner. It was also ironic how all the tabloids were always debating who would be the woman to get Tony Stark to settle down. No one would've guessed that woman would actually come in the form of a two year old little girl with eyes exactly like his. She managed to do it though. She managed to make him fall under her spell like no other before her.

Tony knew tomorrow would come and with it Vivien would learn of her grandparents death. She was too young to understand the concept of death so Tony hoped that she wouldn't feel the pain of their loss too much. Her innocence and naïve nature was the only thing that brought Tony comfort over the matter. He realized then that he really did care for her. He cared for her all this time but he was just afraid of hurting her which was why he stayed away. However, Tony could no longer stay away. She needed him and he needed her. It was as simple as that.

Life had a funny way of bringing people together but Tony was grateful that he had finally come to his senses where Vivien was concerned because he really did love her. The love was instant and paternal but Tony had fallen hard for her. More so than for any other girl he had ever dated. Vivien Maria Stark would be the first girl Tony ever loved. That was something that couldn't be changed. It was cemented in history. The day Tony had fallen hard for his daughter was also the day his parents died.

The ending of one era and the beginning of another.


End file.
